Alex Kite
Alex Kite is a defender who came through the Rovers' youth system at the Bristol Academy of Sport. He was one of seven players promoted to the first team squad in the 2007 off-season, along with Charlie Clough, Tom Godsell, Matt Groves, Adam Mahdi, Ryan Paddock and Charlie Reece, although he never made any first team appearances for The Gas. He was named as an unused substitute for the first time in Rovers' 5–1 home victory over Rushden & Diamonds on 1 December 2007, and went on to be named on the bench a further three times, but never made it onto the pitch. Alex is the son of Rovers physio and former goalkeeper Phil Kite, and while with Rovers he was loaned out to Oxford City, Weston-super-Mare, Gloucester City, Paulton Rovers and twice to Chippenham Town, before being released at the end of the 2009-10 season in a mass clear out that saw fourteen other players leave the club with him. Career Alex was promoted to the first team squad in the summer of 2007, but only played reserve team games during the 2007-08 season. The decision to withdraw the Rovers reserves from the league and send more players out on loan in 2008 saw Alex move to Oxford City. During his spell in Oxford, Alex played against fellow on loan Rovers player Joe White in the Southern League Cup, when Oxford City faced Chippenham Town. Former Rovers player Dave Savage was also in the Oxford City squad during this period. Late in November 2008 Alex joined Chippenham Town on loan, where he linked up with fellow Rovers loanee Joe White. His time there was successful enough for Chippenham to extend the deal for a second month and later into a third. He began his spell at Chippenham as an unused substitute for his first couple of games, but went on to establish himself as a first team regular. The first goal of his senior career came against Tiverton Town on new year's day 2009, when he scored the only goal of the game to give Chippenham victory, heading in a corner kick past Rovers goalkeeping coach Steve Book. He also scored an own goal during this spell, in a 2-2 draw with Gloucester City. All parties were keen to extend this loan until the end of the season, but he was forced to return to Rovers in February 2009 when it emerged that league rules stated that any such deal should be completed by 1 January. He made another loan move on 27 February 2009, when he joined Weston-super-Mare for a month, where he linked up with former teammate Tom Parrinello who had signed for them shortly before. The official Bristol Rovers website mistakenly stated on 2 March that he had moved to Weymouth. The loan was extended to the maximum allowed, three months, however Rovers activated a recall clause at the end of the second month because of a defensive injury crisis at the Memorial Stadium. The following season he made further loan moves, initially to Gloucester City where he spent a month in August 2009. Later he was loaned to Paulton Rovers where he linked up with fellow Rovers loanee Neikell Plummer, a move, made on 27 November 2009, which made him the third Rovers player to join Paulton in the 2009-10 season after Plummer and James Tyrell. He ended the season with a second spell at Chippenham Town, where he reached the Zamaretto League playoff final. After being released by Rovers in the summer of 2010 Alex had an unsuccessful trial with Bath City, before returning to Chippenham Town for the third time in his career, this time on a permanent basis rather than on loan. Career stats Record against Rovers Alex has never played a first team match against Rovers. See also *Players with no league appearances Category:Players Category:Defenders Category:7 March Category:Players born in 1989 Category:Players who joined in 2007 Category:Oxford City Category:Chippenham Town Category:Weston-super-Mare Category:Paulton Rovers Category:Gloucester City